The inquiry panel heard the views of many people with an interest in sector pay, including hundreds of responses from NCVO members, for which we were very grateful. We also examined new data on high pay in the sector, gathered by NCVO as part of its latest work on the UK Civil Society Almanac.

We have made a number of recommendations, which we believe will protect public trust in the charity sector. We have recommended:

that charities with an income of over £500,000 publish the total remuneration, names and titles of senior executives

that they also publish an summary of the rationale of their trustees in arriving at decisions on senior pay

that they publish this in an easily accessible place on their website, ideally no more than two ‘clicks’ from their homepage

that these larger charities also adopt clear pay policies.

While we place extra importance on these recommendations for larger charities – £500,000 is the threshold above which a charity’s accounts must be independently audited – we hope that smaller charities will also given consideration to whether they may be able to follow them too.

Modest recommendations that will make a difference

I believe that what the inquiry has proposed is moderate and achievable, yet will be effective. We have also produced definitive guidance for trustees on how to go about setting senior executive pay.

Some will have hoped that we would go further. Others will think we have already gone too far. But many organisations already provide such information (see the BBC’s for example), and the sky has not fallen in on them. It is not sustainable for us to be less open and transparent than other organisations – we should be aiming to set a gold standard in voluntary transparency.

What more could we have done? Some suggested we propose rules to cap the pay permissible for charity staff. These were well intentioned calls and I believe we owe those who made them an explanation of our reasons for not taking this route. Aside from the practical issues of creating a barrier for those who need to recruit specialist staff, I think we let government dictate rules to charities at our peril. We are at our best when we live up to our own standards, because we believe they are the right thing to do, not those devised at the whim of a minister aiming to score a political point.

That said, we see no excuse for profligacy, and we warn all those with charitable status now that we are prepared publicly to challenge them if we suspect it. We are not willing to tolerate threats to the public’s trust in charitable status.

The inquiry has been conscious all along that only around 1% of all charities pay anyone over £60,000. (And most of course don’t employ any staff at all.)

Larger charities have an extra responsibility

But among the £10m+, household-name charities, who benefit from around half of all donations and whose actions do much to drive public opinion, nearly all have employees over £60,000. Given their privileged position and the trust and authority they enjoy, they have a particular responsibility to act to the highest standards. We have not proposed extra regulation to mandate our recommendations. But I believe these larger charities in particular will find it hard to explain why if they do not follow them. Importantly however, I want them to consider this an opportunity to help donors understand the scale and challenges of their work.

And I don’t want anyone to ever be able to accuse us of hiding or obfuscating information on pay in an attempt to avoid embarrassment. If we are up-front about pay, we can avoid this dangerous accusation.

One Response to Transparency will help maintain trust in charities

This is an early response before I have had the chance to read the full report I am doing this as we, the LCSYFL, have a major concern around those voluntary groups that deal /work with grassroots sports that have exstream wealth at the top end of their sporting governing bodies and run as businesses and in a very elite multy million dollar world and rely on the pure armature grassroots voluntary organisations to bring on / develop / encourage / provide the staring point for the young people to take part without any commitment to grassroots within their sport.

Many grassroots organisations must feel betrade and let down as the voluntary contributors to a multy million dollar sporting world.

How many of those from this voluntary sporting background are or see themselves or are recognised as a major voluntary sporting organisation and join or encouraged to join the various voluntary umbrella organisation. Is it not time to be recognised as a magor voluntary sector?
Yours
Tony Pretty

About us

NCVO champions the voluntary sector and volunteering because they’re essential for a better society. We do this by connecting, representing and supporting voluntary organisations.